The Culmination
by AphoticDepths
Summary: The final leg of the adventure for Chloe, Derek, Simon, and Tori. Formerly Melancholy Meanderings.
1. Melancholy Meandeings

This is my first fanfiction ever!

Please let me know what you think! =)

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Derek was getting antsy. This was their third day at the safe house, and so far, absolutely nothing had happened. No news, no plans, no attacks. Just lots of sitting. Just like now. None of the other supernaturals who passed through briefly were willing to talk to them about anything of importance, not even Andrew. They must have been planning _something_. To do otherwise would just be ridiculous. Did the adults assume that they were too young to handle it? Because that was silly. They'd been doing a pretty decent job so far. They were still alive, after all. Did they think that keeping them out of it would make them feel safer? Not even Tori was that stupid.

Derek was beginning to feel caged. Andrew had specifically forbade them to leave the confines of the house. Wandering past the porch would be dangerous, as the magical wards would reach no further. If anyone was trying a locator spell on them, indoors was the safest place to be. It was logical, if not exactly liberating.

Derek, Simon, and Chloe were together in the family room. Tori was most likely still in her room…doing whatever Tori did when she wasn't around and being completely obnoxious. Derek didn't know, nor did he particularly care to know. Quite the contrary, he hoped she stayed there, out of his sight and off of his nerves for as long as possible.

Chloe and Simon sat unnecessarily close to one another on the loveseat.

Derek glanced again, for what felt like the thousandth time, at their comfortably intertwined fingers. His shoulders tensed and his chest tightened. They sure had been doing a lot of that lately. Maybe they had finally decided to take a few steps forward with their relationship.

_Good…_he told himself. _This is the way it should be._ The fact that it made him so angry that he briefly considered snapping off his own brother's fingers was proof enough that Simon was the best choice.

His own brother! His best friend! His _only_ friend for the longest part of his life. And here Derek was contemplating, if only for a brief moment, maiming him because of a simple, natural, pleasant gesture. A gesture that any _normal_ person would extend to a friend during hard times. Right?

Being sociable was always so easy for Simon. He made friends so effortlessly it was almost annoying. Each and every girl he ever set his sights on gravitated towards him willingly and easily.

Even this girl.

Simon leaned in closer to her and whispered something that made a smile bloom on her face. Derek didn't hear what it was, or rather, he was unable to comprehend it, because the wolf, the monster, suddenly raged to life once more, clouding his mind and demanding that he step forward and take what was his.

_His?_ Please. Derek forced the rage down, all the while maintaining a calm countenance and resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the sheer ludicrousness of his impulsive thoughts. Chloe belonged to him about as much as Simon belonged to Tori. He was being completely illogical. Why would he _want_ Chloe in the first place? Why _should_ he?

She was attractive, sure, but Derek was never exactly the type to get all worked up over pretty eyes and appealing figures. At least, he never had been before.

Simon used to bring girls home all the time, girls who would be considered gorgeous by anyone's standards. Willowy, blonde cheerleaders. Curvy brunettes. Sporty volleyball players and cute punk girls. You name it. But they never sparked a bit of interest in Derek.

_Beauty is so superficial anyway._ They never looked at Derek with anything more than shock or mild disgust, and frankly, Derek never cared.

Chloe was clumsy, always getting herself into stupid and dangerous situations. Sometimes he wondered if she was born without common sense or natural survival instincts. The way she walked into danger so naively seriously put him in a bad mood. If he was completely honest with himself though, he had to admit that he did find her…interesting…for many of the same reasons that she so often made him furious. After all, it was her caring nature that made her so oblivious to her own personal safety when others were in need.

For instance, it was downright ludicrous for her to stay by his side during the frightful Changes he went through. If she were any less kind or selfless, she would have turned and run. If she were any more sensible, she would have left him alone…

Chloe's laughter brought him out of his thoughts. He looked at her for a while, her cheerful face, her eyes sparkling, brow raised in amused shock as she aimed a playful jab at his brother's shoulder.

Simon made her feel better, made her happy. He didn't yell at her or scowl for no good reason. He wasn't dangerous. He couldn't accidentally snap her arm in half while trying to embrace her. Derek was completely wrong for her in every way.

_So, this is good, _he told himself. _This is what she wants. It's what she _should_ want. I do _not_ care about her._

The wolf in him made one last feeble attempt to spur him to heated revenge against Simon, but by this point Derek was just too drained. Besides he could never, would never, actually do anything to harm his brother in any way. He cared for Simon more than he cared for himself.

"Derek, are you feeling okay?" Chloe asked. "You seem sort of out of it."

"What? Of course I'm fine," he snapped in reply. She raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed, then walked up to him and placed a hand on his forehead. He smacked her hand away lightly, particularly annoyed due to his earlier train of thought.

"No fever, but…"  
"Chloe, I said I was fine. Leave me alone."

"Jesus, Derek. Get a grip," Simon interjected, somewhat irritated at his brother's inexplicable and ceaseless rudeness "Come on, Chloe. I'm going to go check out the library, want to come? Just let him sit here. You know he doesn't need a reason to be a jerk."

"No thanks," she replied smiling, "The moldy stench in there makes me sneeze, but you go ahead." Simon shrugged, shook his head at Derek, and walked off down the hallway. When he was out of hearing range Derek snapped,

"You know, you really can just go." He didn't _want_ to be such an irritable ass, but it was just so hard not to be when Chloe acted all concerned, like he was some pitiable child. "I'm sure Simon is a lot more fun." She laughed.

"Sure. You're not exactly a box of sunshine most of the time, but you've got your good points. I'm not going to just let you sit here and brood Derek. We're friends right? So tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing! Being cooped up all the time just makes me irritable is all. Why won't you just leave it alone?" He pleaded. She looked into his eyes, brow furrowed.

"Because I care Derek."

He really wished she did, in ways that just weren't possible.


	2. Supposed to Feel

A.N.: Well, here we go… for better or worse. Let me know if you think anything sounds iffy. Tell me what you think ^_^. Chapter 1 was edited VERY slightly. I might do more edits later, but work and school are really cramping my free time.

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"Because I care, Derek," She told him. And she did. She really did. It bothered her to see him so upset. He was so obviously troubled that it made her heart clench. He clearly wanted to say something, but instead he was just keeping it all bottled up. She wanted to reach out and give him a hug, but they weren't exactly the touchy-feely kind of friends. And for some reason, the idea of hugging Derek made her nervous…

_Probably because I'm afraid he'd blow up at me for trying. Right, wouldn't want to invoke his wrath anymore than I already do on a daily basis._

But this was getting a little ridiculous. If he didn't get all this negative energy out, his head might just explode. Chloe needed to do something.

"Well then, if you're not going to talk to me I'm just going to sit here." She plopped down Indian-style on the floor in front of him. Ever since they'd arrived back at the safe house, he had been acting more agitated than he was while they were on the run. _Something_ was wrong, but he was being stubborn. She really couldn't understand why he wouldn't talk to her, or to Simon, or to _someone_. Derek wasn't exactly what you'd call a people person, but this was taking his status as an introvert to a whole new level. It almost made her as angry as it worried her.

While they'd been alone it had seemed like he was opening up. There was a kind, caring, and loyal guy hidden under all of those rude outbursts. She found herself missing it at times. Chloe wasn't about to let him completely clam up on himself again. If he wasn't just going to volunteer for a therapeutic psych session, maybe she needed to try a different angle. Maybe if she talked first, he'd feel more comfortable. Or something.

"Fine then, _I'll talk_. Let's see…I haven't watched a movie in ages, so the fact that the T.V. here only gets crappy reception to local channels seems like some sort of cruel and unusual torture. This place isn't exactly my idea of a vacation getaway. It smells like moth balls and stale old people, but at least we have showers. I will never take shampoo for granted again," she provided helpfully.

"Yeah," he grunted through clenched teeth. And now he looked like he wanted nothing more than to run away or bite her head off. Oooookay… she was starting to think that maybe _she'd_ done something to make him angry. Had she missed something?

"Is it me? You keep glaring at me. Well, more than usuall. Did I piss you off somehow? Because if you don't tell me what it is, I can't do anything about it, and if it's something…"  
"No. I'm _fine_," he snapped, cutting her off, and with that stood abruptly, stepped past her, and headed toward the stairs.

"Hey!" Chloe scrambled to get up and follow him. "Don't just walk off on me. We were having a conversation!" Sort of.

He didn't stop until he'd reached the door of the bedroom he had been sharing with Simon. Then, he turned abruptly, surprising her, glaring with an intensity she'd only seen him express once before.

"Chloe!" He grabbed her shoulders roughly. Her eyes went wide, and for a brief moment she was actually scared that he might hurt her. Immediately, his expression softened into dismay.

"I…I'm sorry I snapped like that. I'm an idiot. I didn't mean to scare you Chloe. It's…it's not you okay? Please don't be scared of me. I…I wouldn't hurt you. Ever. I promise." He looked completely miserable, and he was babbling which was completely out of character.

"Okay! It's not me then. And hey, don't worry, you don't scare me. You just...surprised me there for a second. But whatever it is, you really need to get it off of your chest because I think it's starting to make you a little crazy." He sighed, staring blankly past her right shoulder at the wall. She wondered if he noticed that he hadn't taken his hands away yet. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly. Silence again. He shifted his gaze from the wall to her face.

_He has really nice eyes,_ Chloe found herself thinking, right before her cheeks blazed crimson. She suddenly became hyper-aware of his hands on her shoulders, how large and warm they were, and how close he was standing. Her stomach fluttered, her heart felt like it was getting to large for her chest…and she started to panic.

"I sh—sh should pro—pro—pro…It's kind of late. We sh—should probably go to sleep. Maybe you'll feel better in the morning." He immediately dropped his hands as if he'd been burned and looked toward the wall again.

"Right," he mumbled, looking completely embarrassed, and retreated hastily into his room without another word. She stood for a moment, staring at the closed door, mind blank. What had just happened? Why did she panic? It was just Derek. She walked down the hallway and entered her own bedroom, then, in a daze, changed into the pajamas Andrew had purchased at the thrift store. She collapsed on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

This house must be making her as nuts as it was making Derek. Maybe there was just something wrong with her right now. Her feelings were all messed up. She shouldn't have panic attacks from looking at Derek; he was her friend. She should be relieved to be here at the safe house, relatively out of harm's way for once, but all she could think about was just how fragile and false that safety really was. It would all come crashing down eventually. And Simon...What about Simon?

She closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind's eye: blonde hair, athletic build, kind smile. She thought about the times that they'd laughed together over his comics, or talked about movies. Simon was, quite frankly, the kind of guy you're _supposed_ to fall for. Simon was the kind of guy you'd be _expected_ to fall for.

She _should have_ been getting all girly and giddy about things like holding Simon's hand. She _should_ just let herself feel the things that she should so obviously be feeling and stop spazzing while she still had the chance.

She was excited before, wasn't she? About the inevitability of ending up with Simon? She hadn't had a lot of time to gush about boys lately, what with constantly running for her life and all, but there had been the clichéd stomach butterflies once or twice, right? When the girl finally gets the guy, everything's supposed to be romantic, or dramatic, or powerful and passionate, or something…cue the cheesy musical montage, skipping hand in hand on the beach, and a sense of "together forever"… Not that she and Simon were technically "together" or anything. They sure had seemed to be getting closer every day, though.

_I like Simon_, she reminded herself. _He's kind and funny, and creative, and totally hot. He is sweet to me. He makes me feel better when I'm upset..._

But it was just like telling herself she should seize the opportunity to relax and feel like a normal teenage girl, cooped up in a safe house, hiding from murderous scientists. She couldn't force herself to feel something that she just wasn't feeling. Emotions don't work that way, unfortunately.

So, if she was involved with Simon, holding hands and easing toward a steady relationship, but got excited when his brother got too close, excited in a way that she'd never experienced before, what did that mean? What did that say about her? Why had Derek looked so embarrassed when she'd gotten all flustered? And most importantly, what should she do about it all?

Chloe pulled the covers over her head.

She didn't know that she wanted to think about it.


	3. Limited Productivity

A/N: Hello, hello. Sorry about the slow update =/ Real Life reared its ugly head for a little while there, and then I got some new books that I just HAD to read…

You really should check out Generation Dead. It pretty much rocks.

I will eventually get to some real plot points. Eventually.

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Derek lie awake in his bedroom, lights off, one arm draped over his eyes, the other dangling off of the edge of the bed. The ceiling fan clicked in a steady rhythm. Somewhere nearby a faucet was leaking. He felt horrible.

What had almost happened? What had he nearly done?

_Idiot. First you shake her like a rag doll and then you stare her down like some pervert. Way to go. That wasn't creepy or obvious at all._

His stomach turned uneasily for the hundredth time as he recalled the look on her face after he'd basically assaulted her. He couldn't blame Chloe for running away. Some part of him was glad she had, but another part, a persistent part, had wanted her to stay and listen to him, to tell him he wasn't some horrifying freak…

And what about Simon? Derek had almost completely forgotten about how he would react for a split second out there in the hallway.

_Just let go. Let her go. You never had a chance anyway. And you shouldn't. It _is_ better this way. For everyone._

But the thought of letting go was indescribably painful. Something primal and fierce deep within him rebelled, and there was a whispering something flitting around in the back of his mind that told him if it wasn't Chloe, there just wouldn't be anyone else...

Derek growled and then exhaled sharply. He didn't know how much longer he could take it. So many negative emotions were warring in his mind, fighting for control of his actions every second of every day. If he wasn't angry he was depressed. If he wasn't frightened he was edgy. Now he was just…tired, tired and ready to give up on so many levels. He was so emotionally worn down at this point that it physically hurt. He could feel it all the way to his bones.

He closed his eyes and imagined the soft, cool darkness surrounding and enveloping him, soaking into his skin.

_Just fade away_. He pictured his mind, body, and soul slowly dissolving and becoming nothing more than a part of the black nothingness. _Fade away_. It would be so nice, so peaceful, if everything would just…stop, if he could just fade away.

_No_. He sighed and opened his eyes. That was just idiotic and pitiful. He _needed_ to shake this off and focus on something else, something more useful. He needed to be around to help, at least until everyone was free from the immediate danger of the Edison Group. After that, he would see. Derek had responsibilities right now, to his brother, to Chloe, and it just wouldn't be right to shove those responsibilities off on anyone else. If he ran just because he had issues, the others would be left to deal with it and pick up the pieces on their own, and that wasn't fair. Not that he was any huge help…

_They have Andrew. They're all here in the __**safe**__ house. You think you're some kind of savior? That they couldn't get along without you?_

He growled again and squeezed his eyes shut. He really needed to stop with the self-deprecation; it wasn't conducive to progress of any sort. It wasn't conducive to progress of any sort. Unappealing as it was, this was life at the moment. And if nothing else, he certainly made a better bullet shield than anyone else.

Progress. Productivity. Focus. What needed to be done in order to put the train back on the tracks? What did he need to do to get things moving smoothly forward again? He needed to ask Andrew what was going on and see if he had any plans. He needed to make him talk. He needed to know more. But since Andrew was out on some errand at the moment, that would have to wait.

So, what else? There was the obvious. He needed to apologize to Chloe for being such a jerk. He needed to explain his behavior, make sure that she didn't come to any…correct….conclusions. It would just make things more complicated, and anyway, just thinking that she might have caught on to…

Needless to say, it worried him in more ways than one. What if she was disgusted? What if she thought it was funny? What if…

_Stop. Stop. Stop.__** Not productive.**_

So, he would explain himself to Chloe.

First thing in the morning. She was probably sleeping now anyway.

He _felt_ like he should apologize to Simon as well, although he hadn't actually done anything to him personally. Not really.

_Hey Simon, sorry I was fantasizing about maiming you and dragging off your girlfriend. No hard feelings right?_

He felt awful about it, but there wasn't anything he could do. You don't apologize for feelings that you haven't acted on. Besides, Simon didn't know, he hoped, and he planned to keep it that way.

Derek heard footsteps ascending the stairs, his brother, by the sound of it. Normally, Derek wouldn't have cared about sharing a room with Simon. They'd shared a bedroom often enough over the years, and it wasn't like he usually had anything to hide. Right at this moment, however, he found himself wishing that the safe house had a few more empty rooms. He needed more alone time and space to sort out his issues, and he doubted that Simon was just going to leave him in peace right now.

_Maybe he'll keep walking_. The footsteps stopped in front of the door. _Or not._ The knob turned; the door opened, and Simon walked in. He took his shoes off and chucked them carelessly in a corner, then sat down on the twin bed across the room from Derek.

"Why is everyone already going to bed? It's, like, eight o'clock."

"Tired, I guess," Derek responded. _Here it comes._

"And what was with you earlier, man? You seem like you're just getting more and more irritated every day," he said as he pulled off his jeans and shirt. Derek sighed.

"Nothing, okay? I don't know. Maybe it's some werewolf thing, the change coming on, making me irritable."

"Yeah right. Come on, bro. You're a pretty terrible liar sometimes. Why won't you tell me? Is it something awful?" Simons eyes widened in mock horror.

"No. I told you, it's…"  
"I know. I know what it is." Simon lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Oh really?"

"Yep, only one thing could be so awful that you'd never want anyone to find out. I think you've got a crush…" Derek's pulse started to quicken. Surely, Simon didn't know. He wouldn't be acting so flippant if he knew. "on Tori," Simon finished, chuckling. "You're one sick puppy. But don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Derek rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on Derek! That was at least a little funny." After it became apparent that he was going to illicit no response from his brother, Simon continued, "You know, I really don't get you sometimes. I'm going to sleep. So, whatever. If you want to talk, talk. If you don't, I'm not going to bring it up anymore. You can just suffer in silence, since you seem to like playing the martyr so much." He rolled onto his side and was silent.

_I'm sorry Simon,_ Derek thought as he closed his eyes. _I'll fix it all first thing tomorrow_. He closed his eyes and willed his mind to shut down so that he could sleep.


	4. The Perfect Excuse

First and foremost, a million thanks to Miss BurningImpossiblyBright! If it weren't for you I'd probably never have gotten this chapter done. You are a lifesaver ^_^ You rock. I cannot compliment you enough.

Also, thank you to everyone who has left comments, favorited, or signed up for an alert thus far. I appreciate it so much! You make me warm and fuzzy inside. Comments are always welcome, even if it's just a nod to say you read. Constructive criticism is also always valued.

Finally, I'm sorry it took so long to update. This story is written mainly during down time at work on receipt paper. I literally have a pile of tiny receipt papers that I have to sift through to remember my timelines. I'll try to update more often, as I know it can be irritating to follow a fic that goes so slowly! I sometimes post story info/status stuff on my profile, in case anyone is interested.

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Derek stood in the cramped second floor bathroom early the next morning. The yellowing floral wallpaper stank of decay, and the tiled floor felt icy on his bare feet. He shut his eyes for a moment, hoping that when he opened them, he would find that he had been mistaken. He counted to ten slowly, then looked his reflection over once again.

Telltale glassy eyes stared back from the medicine cabinet mirror. The skin on his face was indeed a shade or two paler than normal. Derek's lips tightened into a rigid line.

And if the visual cues weren't enough, mild waves of lethargy had begun to wash over him. His skin felt irritated and raw, uncomfortable. It wasn't bad yet, but it was sure to get worse.

_Perfect…just perfect_. Derek tossed the toothbrush he had been holding back into the cabinet, then sat down on the edge of the tub, running his fingers agitatedly through his hair. Life couldn't get much better than this. He was cooped up in a house with a girl he had unrequited feelings for, a brother he couldn't help but feel jealous of, a man who occasionally looked at him like he might snap, and another girl who irritated him with every breath she breathed. He was on the run from murderous scientists who had screwed with his genes. He couldn't leave. He couldn't run. He was eternally plagued by his emotions, and feared Chloe might be catching on.

And now, he was beginning to change.

He grimaced. As if he **needed** another source of stress. It was beginning to feel like he had no control over anything in his life anymore; least of all his own body and mind. He gritted his teeth in frustration. How was he supposed to **deal **with all of this crap? Glossing things over with Chloe was going to have to wait. As soon as she saw him, she would just get all concerned and motherly, brushing off his attempts to make amends…

His scowl slowly melted away as his thoughts took a new turn. On second thought, this **was** perfect. Derek could almost feel the gears starting to turn in his mind, rusty and slow, but turning.

The signs weren't obvious enough yet that he would have to try to avoid Simon. Although generally caring, his brother wasn't exactly the most observant individual. He didn't want him to see him so pathetic, so unhinged. He didn't want him to worry. Tomorrow maybe he would need to steer clear of Simon, but today…Today a person would only be able to tell from a glance if they were acutely familiar with the symptoms of his condition.

Chloe was familiar with it. Chloe had witnessed the awfulness of it firsthand more than once.

Derek almost laughed. He'd spent hours last night trying to come up with a plausible reason for his awful temper as of late without any success. He'd thought in circles for so long that he believed it had given him the beginnings of a headache. Turned out to be a mild fever. So now? Now he didn't need to come up with a story anymore. Overactive, angry werewolf hormones could explain all previous emotional outbursts away with ease. A little push here, a little overacting there, and Chloe would think nothing of the incident from last night.

Hopefully. With any luck, it would be easy enough to convince her that he'd been wrong or lying when he said he wasn't experiencing any signs of the change as he had so vehemently claimed earlier. Theoretically, he supposed, he _could_ have been under the minute influence of the part of him that was more animal than human without being fully aware of it. Maybe he _had_ been controlled by it, just a little.

Maybe, if he thought about it hard enough, he could explain his temporary lapse in sanity away even to himself. Maybe he **didn't** like Chloe. Maybe it was just some temporary mania brought on by the genetic alterations in combination with the wolf in his head, confused for some primal animalistic instinct that would fade as soon as the change completed...

_Keep dreaming_. He scoffed as he exited the bathroom and descended the stairs. Wishful thinking aside, at least he had the perfect alibi.

Now, should he go look for Chloe intentionally, or wait until he inevitably ran into her later? If he sought her out, it would be over and done with sooner, but the whole thing might come off as contrived. If he waited, he would have more time to think about it and make himself nervous. In the end, he decided to wait in hopes that it would seem less staged, and possibly that the symptoms of the change might get a tiny bit worse by then. How odd, he never thought he would see the day when he'd actually hope for the change to get worse faster.

While he waited, Derek decided that he might as well have breakfast. Eating would give him something to do. He was still munching on Cheerios an hour and a half later in the kitchen when the others began to rise and begin their morning rituals. The first down was Simon. He grabbed a bowl of Cheerios for himself as he stood next to his brother.

"Well, are you feeling less like a pain in the ass this morning?" Simon asked without bothering with any pleasantries. Derek gave a grunt in reply after shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. What could he say, really? Simon sighed. "Look, I'm trying to be reasonable. I get that all of this stuff is probably tough for you, but it's tough for the rest of us too. Lay off Chloe at least, alright? She's just trying to be nice."

"Yeah, okay, whatever. I'll try." Derek meant to sound pleasant and positive, but it was difficult when his brother's defensive stance where Chloe was concerned set him on edge. Simon laughed and shook his head.

"Cool." And with that, he walked off with his breakfast into the living room, leaving his brother alone in the kitchen once again. Derek heard the ancient television buzz to life, volume slowly rising. Channels flipped rapidly for a moment until Simon settled on one with relatively little static, early morning cartoons. Derek absentmindedly stirred the dregs of his cereal for a few minutes while listening to the energetic sound effects drifting to his ears. Pop. Bang. Honk. Whiz. _Must be Tom and Jerry_.

It wasn't long before another set of footsteps could be heard from down the hall. Chloe, Derek recognized almost instantly. Still groggy, if the way she was dragging her feet was any indicator. She entered moments later, still in her pajamas, hair mussed from sleep, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

Derek's heart clenched. She was completely adorable. _Adorable? Wow, get a hold of yourself_. She blinked a few times, then turned in a daze toward the refrigerator. Derek cleared his throat, causing her to yelp in surprise.

"Jesus, Derek! You just scared the crap out of me!" He looked at her incredulously. Apparently, he wasn't the only person in the house out of it from sleep deprivation.

"I was sitting here when you walked in."

"Well you could make a little more noise so that I can tell you're there!" she exclaimed. Derek reached his hand into the box of Cheerios, and stirred them around roughly, making sure to crinkle the plastic bag. Then, he brought a handful to his mouth and chewed loudly.

"Is this better?" Chloe rolled her eyes as she snatched the box from the table. Gathering up the rest of the necessary utensils, she chanced a few sidelong glances at Derek. Would she notice? Would he need to play it up? **Should** he play it up? Would she be reluctant to ask since he'd snapped last night? He hadn't thought of that…

Facing away from him, pouring hefty amounts of sugar on top of her cereal, Chloe seemed to be stalling. She started to speak, then stopped. After a moment, she tried again.

"Okay, don't get angry or anything. I'm just going to ask a question; you can answer me with a yes or no, and then I'll drop it." She paused, tapping her fingers on the countertop, still staring at the wall. "You look kind of…under the weather…Are you feeling okay?"

Alright, this was what he had been waiting for. _Say something_. But what to say? What would he have said under normal circumstances?

"Are you ignoring me now?" She turned and looked at him expectantly.

"No, I'm just…No, I'm not feeling so great."

"I thought so." She sat down in a chair next to him and stared into his face. "You look kind of pale. Are you okay for now? How long do you think you have before it really starts?"  
"I don't know, a day or so maybe." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why wouldn't you tell me last night?" _Because it hadn't started last night_. "Were you trying to hide it from me or something? You know I'll be here for you. You don't have to go through it alone. I know it's hard for you. I'm not scared, if that's what you're worried about. I thought you knew that."

"Yeah, I guess." He was really bad at this.

"So you'll just let me know next time instead of trying to keep me out of it? So we don't have to spazz on each other?" She smiled and tilted her head slightly to one side.

"Yeah." _Success_. Derek didn't think he'd ever felt so guilty about lying before. He was about to continue when he heard a car pull up. He focused his attention on the direction of the front porch. Car doors opened, then closed. Two sets of feet approached the house, gravel crunching under rubber soles.

"What is it?"

"Andrew's back. He brought someone with him."


	5. Pathetic

Sorry it took so long to update, but I'm afraid I might be getting a little uninterested in this fic. The concept is very overdone, I think. I mean, just scroll down the first page of darkest powers fics, and you'll see many others with the same premise. What happens after the second book ends? What happens at the safe house? The plot of book number three… Mmm.. we'll see.

Much of this chapter was not beta read or even looked over for errors by myself. If there are any, please let me know. Also, please let me know if you think it's worth it to continue. Overdone much?

Many thanks to all who have left comments thus far. It is because of you that I finished this chapter at all.

As always, comments and constructive criticism are welcome.

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_Sorcerer_, Tori thought bitterly as she looked at the flighty blonde man standing in the living room. He was scrawny, fidgety, and greasy, the picture perfect dork. Complete with dark-rimmed, coke bottle, plastic glasses and high-waisted khakis. Andrew was introducing him as some important lab tech from the Edison Group who'd joined the forces of light around the same time as himself, blah, blah, blah. Luke, as he was apparently named, was supposedly some kind of techno-whiz. He definitely looked the part. He looked like he might even beat Derek in the race to become the most unattractive, unhygienic individual on the face of the planet. Honestly, was Tori the only one aware of the fact that you didn't have to be fashion retarded to have brains? Hello? She was living, breathing proof.

She gave Mr. Luke a hard, cold, unwavering stare. When he noticed, he shifted uncomfortably and tried to avoid looking her directly in the eyes. _Wimp_. She sneered.

He was completely and totally the opposite of anything she might ever find attractive in a guy… And yet, there it was; that sensation of recognition she felt down to her core every time she encountered **their** kind, mocking her. She scoffed inwardly at herself and willed him to look at her again. _Do it. Come on nerd boy. Are you scared of me?_ She wanted to feel it. She wanted to remind herself over and over again how much of an idiot she'd been that first time at Lyle House, when she'd mistaken that biologically ingrained reaction for something deeper, more sentimental. Feel it. Memorize it. Never be mistaken again.

"Luke was telling me on the drive over that they're searching for you guys pretty actively right now," Andrew was saying. You think?

"Oh wow, thank you for the amazing input Captain Obvious. Good to know the ambushing with loaded weapons wasn't really very 'active,' because that would have been disappointing. You're going to be **tons** of help," Tori remarked. Andrew gave her a disapproving look. Simon narrowed his eyes at her from his usual spot, plastered to Chloe's side on a couch. He could shove it. That was worthless information and he knew it.

"Would you please allow me to explain further before jumping to conclusions?" Andrew asked. Tori gestured regally for him to continue. Explain away.

"As I was saying, the Edison Group is now searching for you very **actively**. They have just about everyone out and hunting, not just the muscle. Like I was explaining earlier, Luke here is just a lab tech, about as far from combat ready as they come," Luke looked a little put out at that comment, but Andrew didn't seem to notice that he'd just hurt his buddy's feelings; he was working himself up for some grand statement. Like he was about to hop on a soapbox at any minute. "They're throwing out everything they can spare. This is important because it means that.." Derek finished his idea for him.

"They'll be lower on manpower at the actual base of operations."

"Exactly! This is a prime opportunity to attack!" Andrew's eyes widened with a sort of manic glee. Yeesh. Normally he was so boring and adult-like, but when he got started about the Edison Group…Well, it was safe to say that it was obvious that some people weren't quite as balanced as they first seemed. "We attack," he continued, rapping his knuckles on the wooden coffee table. "We hit them hard while they're weak and destroy them. I'm glad we're on the same page Derek. Your father was always too faint-hearted to accept the fact that some affirmative action might be required to stop them." Wow. It was almost a little difficult to believe that this guy was some kind of family friend. Hell, Tori wouldn't consider herself friends with Derek by any stretch of the definition of the word, but she did know that ragging on Daddy was a no-no. Not that she wouldn't consider doing it just to get a rise out of him, but still.

"What do you mean, Andrew? He was just as against the Edison Group as you, I'm sure," Derek hissed through clenched teeth.

"Of course, Derek, I'm sorry. Poor choice of words on my part." Now he was eyeing Derek warily, like he might explode at any moment. Really, Tori wondered why everyone seemed to do that with him. Sure, he was a grade A certifiable freak with a short fuse and one heck of an ugly mug, but she'd never actually seen him so much as touch another person out of anger. If he jumped on someone every time he got a little irritable, well, there wouldn't be much time in his day left for things like sleeping or eating. Hell, she provoked him for fun. It was just too easy. And he'd yell, and moan, and bitch, and threaten to kick her out of the party, but so what? If he ever did decide to go Hulk, Tori was sure she could take him down. Immobilize. Zap. Crispy fried werewolf. Maybe everyone else was just too much of a wuss.

After the briefest of pauses, Andrew leapt into describing his plans once again. Much destruction involved. The heated fervor crept into his eyes once again.

"The only problem we have is that we ourselves are a little lacking in manpower. We'll need your help," he said glancing at each one of them in turn, then settling his gaze on Chloe. She fidgeted uncomfortably. "Especially you. I have an idea, and it might sound a little haphazard at first, but hear me out. What the Edison Group has done to you, to all of you, is unforgiveable, but perhaps it can be used to our advantage. You are a powerful necromancer Chloe. And you could solve our manpower problem with hardly more than a thought." Chloe looked like she might have a heart attack.

"Wh—what? What are you suggesting? That I raise some undead army to tear the place down? No way! I can't! And even if I could, I wouldn't! " Derek glared at Andrew with so much venom, Tori wondered absentmindedly if he might start foaming at the mouth soon. Yaaawwwn. Derek really needed more variety in his facial expressions. Simon was looking surprised and shocked. He hadn't said a word this whole time. Poor baby. Guess good old Uncle Andrew wasn't living up to his sappy nostalgic memories. For the briefest of moments, Tori felt the tiniest of urges to go to him, to do something, anything, to alleviate his pain. Then she remembered that he was an asshole and she didn't care. She made eye contact with Luke again, just for fun. She smiled. He squirmed. Ha. Ha.

"Just listen for a moment, Chloe," Andrew crooned in what Tori could only consider a patronizing tone, "I know it might sound unpleasant to you now, but if it worked, think of it, it would mean an end to all of your fears

"They're people! I will **not** intentionally shove spirits back into their rotting corpses. It's painful for them. And like I said before, I **can't** do it! I wouldn't know how! I can't control it like that!" Simon entwined his fingers with Chloe's and rubbed circles on her arm. Tori didn't care. He finally found the voice to speak up for his darling damsel in distress. Quietly and somewhat reluctant to argue against this man who he had regarded so highly, Simon spoke.

"I don't know Andrew, you haven't seen what it's like, have you? When they're raised like that? It's not… nice. And if Chloe doesn't want to do it I don't think she should be forced to." How freaking sweet. Andrew seemed not to have heard him.

"Then we practice! I will find another necromancer we can trust and you'll begin immediately. You must! Who knows how long this window of opportunity will remain open?"

"She doesn't have to. There has to be another way, right Andrew. Don't worry Chloe," Simon said, louder this time as he leaned in closer and nudged Chloe's shoulder with his.

"This is the BEST way. This is the most THOROUGH way. Chloe you need to understand that even though this might be difficult, it is necessary!" Tori heard something crack to her left, and turned to see that Derek had snapped the arm off of the ancient wingback chair he had been sitting in. He didn't seem to have noticed. Teeth clenched, eyes burning, Derek growled,

"Chloe doesn't have to do **anything** that she doesn't want to do." Andrew looked startled, but couldn't seem to just let it go. He whispered a few words under his breath and readied his hand to cast.

"She should think on it more before she makes any final decisions." He said pointedly.

Derek rose from his seat and opened his mouth to make a retort when he was cut off by Chloe.

"Derek, calm down. Just sit back down okay?" She urged quietly. When he ignored her, she repeated the command, more firmly this time, she shook her hand out of Simon's grip, stood, and placed it on Derek's arm. "Derek. Sit." He gritted his teeth for a few more seconds and then **obeyed**, which was just about the most hilarious thing that Tori had seen in a good long while. She laughed so hard it brought tears to her eyes. Luke and Andrew looked at her like she'd grown another head.

"Oh come on, I can**not** be the only one who just caught that." Blank stares and furrowed brows were all the response she received. "Seriously?"

Morons. She was surrounded by morons with zero sense of humor. Tori stood, rolling her eyes. "Every single one of you needs to loosen up and get a freaking grip. Grow a better personality." She sauntered out of the room, passing Derek on the way. "Good boy!" She said to him as she broke out into another fit of laughter.


	6. AN

First and foremost, thank you to all those who commented. It means a lot to writers that you go out of your way to tell us what you think. Really.

But…life this semester is going to be a little too hectic for fanfiction updates. And after the semester is over, job hunting starts. And then, the REAL final novel will be released anyway, so, without further bullpoopy: this story is officially on an indefinite hiatus.


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